Alabama Bans Margarita Pitchers, Immediately Regrets It

Just two days ago, Alabama banned selling margaritas – or any other type of alcohol, other than beer – in a pitcher. No more splitting a chilled pitcher of everyone’s favorite summer cocktail with friends, the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board decreed – either sip your drinks by the glass or don’t sip at all.

The reason behind the restrictive ban is a bit convoluted, so let Dean Argo, a spokesperson for the ABC, explain it.

“The person who is poured the first or second drink may receive only a .25 to .5 ounce of alcohol," he told Alabama Local News, “[whereas] a person receiving the third, fourth or even fifth pour may receive much more alcohol than mix."

How considerate of Alabama, to protect legal adults from unevenly distributed alcohol in large containers – perhaps not considering that simply using a spoon to mix the pitcher’s contents together at regular intervals might be much more elegant solution that instituting a new law.

The ABC, perhaps feeling foolish or buckling under the pressure of the ban’s backlash, reversed the ban just a day later. Argo claims that the ban was not reserved to save face for the organization, but rather decided to rethink the ruling after a discussion with the Alabama Beverage Licensees Association.

Argo now insists that allowing bars to sell margarita pitchers will give give business, “the flexibility they need to meet the needs of their customers, while maintaining the integrity of the original rule,” according to a report from the AP.

Perhaps the ABC showed have known better than to take away Margaritaville’s pitcher drinks (Jimmy Buffet would not approve!), but at least they eventually came to their senses and let the good people of Alabama enjoy a shareable batch of cold drinks in the summer’s sweltering heat (so long as they swirl the pitcher around every couple of pours).